Free April Fools by Karli Perrin

glanced
at me before whispering something to Lucy. Her face fell as she sat back in her
chair, "Where did you hear that?"
    "Where
do you think?"
    "I don't
know, that's why I'm asking you" she snapped.
    "Facebook, obviously . I learn more on there than I do in class. Brody's pretty
popular at the minute, he's plastered all over girls walls."
    "Um, can
we please stop talking about my brother? It's weird."
    Hollie
laughed, "Okay, just one more question..." she turned to Lucy,
"Has he really got an eight pack?" When Lucy ignored her, she carried
on, "He's staying at your place, are you trying to tell me that you
haven't seen him without a shirt on? Missed opportunity my friend, missed
opportunity."
    "I'm
still here and it's still weird" I added.
    Hollie
laughed, "Okay, I guess I'll just have to find out for myself."
    ***
    As soon as
the lecture ended, Lucy darted out of the hall.
    "Hey,
are you okay?" I asked when I finally caught up to her.
    She shrugged,
"I'm fine."
    Maybe Isaac
was right about that word, she didn't look fine . Her good mood had completely
vanished. "What was with the speedy exit?"
    "I don't
want to be late for my next class."
    "Did
Hollie say something to upset you earlier?"
    "It's
got nothing to do with me."
    She picked up
the pace and I was almost running to keep up with her. I gently took hold of
her arm, "What's wrong?"
    She stopped and
turned to face me, "Why didn't you tell me that he's a Dad?"
    "Who?"
I asked, completely confused.
    "Brody."
    "What
are you talking about?"
    "Hollie told
me that he got somebody called Leah pregnant and she gave birth last week."
    I shook my
head, "That's a lie, he would have told me."
    "Why did
he come to visit you?"
    "Is that
some kind of trick question?"
    "Don't
you think the timing is strange? Some girl claims to have given birth to his
kid and then he turns up here out of the blue?"
    I took a step
closer to her, "What are you trying to say?"
    "I'm just
telling you what I've heard, maybe you should talk to him about it."
    "Maybe you should talk to him about it. Why are you so upset over a stupid rumour?"
    She blushed, "I
saw a different side to him last night...one that I liked. He dropped the whole
bad boy act and was just himself. We talked for hours and then this
morning..." She shrugged, "It felt like we were making progress,
that's all. It would have been nice of him to mention it to me if it's true."
    "Well
it's not true. End of story."
    "I'd
better go, I don't want to be late for class."
    As I watched
her walk away, my gut instinct was telling me that something had happened between
them. I just hoped that she knew what she was getting herself in to.

 
    Chapter
Sixteen
    I finished
the rest of my classes and got back to Lucy's to find Brody sitting at the
kitchen table. His leg was bouncing up and down like it does whenever he's nervous.
    "Hey, are
you okay?" I asked.
    "April,
will you sit down? I have something to tell you."
    A knot formed
in my stomach, "Oh my god, are the rumours true?"
    "What?
Has it already got out?"
    "I
didn't believe it, I thought it was a lie."
    "Thanks
for the vote of confidence."
    "How
could you?"
    His face
fell, "What? Are you not happy for me?"
    "Honestly?
No, I'm not. I don't think you're ready for it, you're too young."
    "What
does age have to do with it? I've wanted this for a long time, you know
that."
    "Since
when?"
    "Since I
was a kid."
    "Why
didn't you tell me before now?"
    "I only
found out today."
    I sat down
and took a deep breath, "I can't believe that I'm an auntie."
    "What
are you talking about?"
    "Your
baby! I don't even know what it's called. Is it a boy or a girl?"
    He jumped up,
"What the fuck are you talking about? You're scaring me now."
    "Wait, I
thought that's what we've just been talking about..."
    "I sure
as shit wasn't talking about any baby." He held his hands up, "I'm
always careful. Every single time."
    "There
are rumours going around that you got some girl called Leah pregnant."
    He started
laughing, "Oh my